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Honda Civic Hybrid Driving Tips & Tricks

13

Comments

  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    I'm not sure about anyone else but I persoanlly wouldn't coast in N going freeway speeds or in those busy situations just described.
    However, at 2:00AM with zero traffic on a rural highway with maximum speed about 50 there is plenty of reaction time.
    Or, while stuck in grid lock stop-and go traffic.
    Read this:
    "Click".
    That's all the time required to get back to D, at least with CVT.
  • bird2bird2 Member Posts: 3
    In think the Car Talk guys have weighed in more than once on the issue of out-of-gear coasting. Here's an example:
    http://cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/1996/September/05.html

    Bird2
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    No cars around doesn't mean something unexpected can't happen. Anyone who has driven on any roads in my neck of the woods (central PA) can attest to that. From the smallest back road to the interstate, you always have to be alert for something jumping out at you. And even with no other vehicles on the road, the need to suddenly brake and swerve just might put your vehicle into an attitude where you DO need to step on the gas to regain control.

    Honestly, the idea of driving with one of your control capabilities intentionally "shut of" is pretty scary. My Dad taught me to be a defensive driver. Do I have to add "beware of hybrid drivers on downhill stretches because they're hypermiling" to the watch list???

    And the point the Car Talk guys make about excessive use of brakes is a great one. If you're "free wheeling", the ONLY thing controlling your speed is your use of the brakes. I once made the mistake of not paying attention while coming down from Skyline Drive in Virginia. I was touching the brakes now and then instead of downshifting to keep the car under control. Well, it was a gorgeous early morning, there were no cars around. What's the problem. The problem was that at the bottom of the couple of miles of grade, unbeknowst to me, was a traffic signal. By the time I reached that light, the heating of the brakes had pretty much rendered the brakes useless. When I saw the red light, I stepped on the brake and pfffffft... nothing. I got REAL lucky that nobody was coming at the time I swooped through the intersection. And fortunately the road level out and I was able to get the car slowed up enough to the point where I had control of the speed and could run slow enough to let the brakes cool down enough to where I had SOME stopping power.

    But hey, it's your neck, not mine.
  • rfruthrfruth Member Posts: 630
    I agree with the host, click n clack and whoerer else that says coasting in N is illegal in some states unsafe and does very little (if any) good in the MPG dept. I'd like to see mileage improvement tips-&-tricks in the owners manual.
  • kernickkernick Member Posts: 4,072
    But what a charge your battery would have had, if you had a hybrid !! ;-)

    And if you make your car out of balsa wood and crepe paper, you can get great mpg. Isn't mpg all that matters? ;-)

    As far as the poster who thought it was okay to coast at sometimes, and the driver can determine that; what other law allows people discretion to make choices like that? Because few people are on the road at times, is it then okay to speed? is it then okay to drive slightly over the DWI limit? is it okay to drive in the breakdown lane if you think it is clear?

    Everyone thinks they are smarter than average and know better. But obviously that is not true. And the least smart amongst us are more likely to not realize their limits, and believe themselves to be geniuses. So we try and make things simple, and tell people to obey the laws, and that way they don't have to waste their time. Its amazing how many experts the internet creates - read a couple of links or postings in 15 min. and you know more than the people who are educated and study highway safety for a living.
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    Not to be condesending or critcal of anyone, but as a manual shift driver of many years, It is very very easy to shift from neutral back in a gear MILLISECONDS. I would venture to say most of the neutral opinions are from automatic drivers and maybe in an automatic tranmission with shift gates and different detents or even just a plain old automatic shift this poses more of a danger.

    Take a manual shift and leave the car in gear, but push in the clutch, if you are really concerned about getting back in gear. Your fail-safe mode is if you take you foot off of the clutch.

    Then again of the three handling characteristics: Braking, steering and acceleration , the least used in a critical situation is acceleration.

    If I were the judge and IMOHO, we are making much to do about nothing , Neutral indeed does saves gas, imposes minimal if any additioanl risk and it is time to move on and let go all the negative, by the way unsubtantiatied, discussion about shifting into neutral to save gas. The Neutral shift wins and the trail is dismissed.

    If you guys are trully manual shift driver and you really are hypermilers then shifting to neutral can save gas. I think shifting into neutral with a CVT or stnadrd auto or a shift gate, if pretty stupid. My experience with variousautos is that you are not always assured you are moving the slector quickly to the right gear. The push buttons on the steering wheel or a +/- gate shift between gears and not to neutral.

    I think a MANUAL SHIFT Honda Civic Hybrid or a MANUAL SHIFT Honda Insight could gain additional miles per gallon by coasting in Neutral.

    Personally I am neutral about this issue,

    MidCow
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    pf_flyer HOST:
    I'd say you used pretty bad judgment.
    You traveled out of gear driving on a couple of miles grade, not knowing what is at the bottom, not realizing that your brakes would heat up to the ineffective point, and it causing you to "swoop" through an intersection.
    Poor driving judgment like that can get you or others killed.
    Hypermilers should be the least of your worries: I've never heard of hypermilers showing such poor judgment.

    What really caught my eye was "But hey, it's your neck, not mine" because you completely distort what I am doing:

    2:00AM, max speed 50 down to 20MPH on an almost level, familiar road I travel many times a day 365 days a year is not poor judgment, nothing as you have described.

    rfruth,
    "coasting in N is illegal in some states unsafe and does very little (if any) good in the MPG dept"
    Coasting in N is only a small part of what I'm doing.
    What I am doing has very, very good results- see my post:

    misterme, "Hybrid Tips: Optimizing mileage" #231, 31 Mar 2005 9:04 pm

    As for the illegal part, did you exceed the posted speed limit? You know those limits are placed for safety sake. How about rolling a stop sign? That's illegal too.
    Have you ever tailgated a slow driver? Surely that's dangerous and is one of the leading causes of accidents..

    kernick:
    When you do any the things listed above do you think you are smarter than average and know better? Genius?

    If I'm in the far right lane of an unclogged 6-lane freeway going the speed limit enjoying my 90MPG segment as most others just gas it going +10 to +15 over, tailgating each other in the speedy Left lanes among other things then who is it that thinks they are smarter than the law?

    Are you among them? I hope not.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    I didn't go down the grade out of gear, just had it in fifth and was tooling along touching the brake to keep the speed in check. You want to call that bad judgement? It was an error on my part that resulted in an unintended consequence, not a conscious decision to give up part of the controls of the vehicle. Am I to assume that a hybrids brakes don't heat up when used going downgrade in neutral to control speed???

    And for what it's worth, from the post prior to yours, the claim of being able to get a car out of neutral and into gear in milliseconds may qualify as THE single most outrageous claim I've seen yet. Reaction time is measured in TENTHS of seconds at best. And that's just to get the process started of stepping on the brake or releasing the clutch or whatever it is your about to attempt to save yourself.

    My comment about it being your neck distorts nothing. You're taking a risk that I simply wouldn't take for some fractional gain in mileage. Just as I wouldn't take the risk that some of the tuners take on public roads with their vehicles. We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one I'm afriad.
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    Yes, let's move on.
  • electrictroyelectrictroy Member Posts: 564
    "You need to get out of the way of an ambulance bearing down on you. Parked cars on one side, oncoming traffic on the other. "

    .

    I'm not aware of any mountain roads that have space for parked cars. (Yes, I was discussing coasting in neutral down a mountain.)

    troy
  • kernickkernick Member Posts: 4,072
    I don't understand why you continue on with this. You were given a couple of other reasons such as engine-braking can keep your brakes from fading, and the vehicle behind you may lose their brakes and you may need to quickly accelerate ahead and then to pull aside and brake.

    But if you don't like those, then just go back to whether it is legal or not in your state. If it's illegal, the point is moot - you don't do it. Just as you stop at a STOP sign whether other cars are there or not.

    I think everyone could get much better mpg if they didn't have to stop at signs or lights when they didn't see anyone coming. Do you endorse that people ignore those laws if it doesn't make sense to stop at those times. Because someone doesn't see the sense of a law, they can ignore it?

    Back to topic: anyone hear rumors about the new Civics? Are all the models including the hybrid getting mpg increases? Will they still have those annoying timing-belts?
  • mistermemisterme Member Posts: 407
    Troy,
    I know that many people have the desire to increase MPG in their HCH and originally wanted to provide tips for improvement, that's why I posted in the Optimizing thread:
    misterme, "Hybrid Tips: Optimizing mileage" #231, 31 Mar 2005 10:04 pm

    The only comments I've received are that I'm rude with my driving and liken it to riding brakes out of control down a steep grade or renegade law beakers.
    You say that you averaged ~80MPG in your Insight, so you know that what is described here is exaggerated and misrepresented, and even by the staff.

    So let it go.
  • electrictroyelectrictroy Member Posts: 564
    "But if you don't like those, then just go back to whether it is legal or not in your state."

    .

    When I'm driving my Beetle or Dodge, I go 80 in a 70 zone. Do you really think I'm going to obey the "no coasting down hills" rule, when I don't obey the speed signs? I suspect you do a fair amount of speeding too, so please don't lecture me about obeying the law.

    I'm going to continue coasting in neutral, in order to boost my MPG. I don't see anything dangerous about it, and my top coasting speed is only 80 which is no more dangerous than the several thousand *other* drivers doing 80.

    troy
  • kernickkernick Member Posts: 4,072
    I'm going to continue coasting in neutral, in order to boost my MPG

    me: I didn't think otherwise. The issue was whether you were right or wrong to do so from a safety / legal standpoint.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    O.K. I'll bite...

    In what way does a timing belt "annoy" you?

    I mean, they get replaced every 105,000 miles but other than that, they keep pretty quiet and don't cause much trouble.
  • mole1mole1 Member Posts: 3
    Here are some tips for getting better MPG without having to coast in neutral

    #1 Take a large box....
    #2 Search car from stem to stern and place all items not necessary for safety or comfort in box..
    #3 Place box in Garage...
    #4 Check all tyre pressures are correct for load in car e.g. higher if car is heavily loaded (See drivers manual
    #5 Remove lead weight from right shoe

    Here endeth the lesson

    P.s. this works with any vehicle... hybrid or otherwise
  • midnightcowboymidnightcowboy Member Posts: 1,978
    Timing Belt -

    Question Is the Honda I4 or v6 an interference engine ?

    In other words if a timing belt breaks is there possible valve damage ?

    105,000 miles or 110,000 miles is a pretty long time and changing a timing belt as opposed to not ever changing a timing chain shouldn't be a beig dela.

    YMMV,

    MidCow
  • cdoldcdold Member Posts: 34
    "How is accelerating downhill and letting my speed fall to 40MPH, and in a 45MPH limit being rude if there is nobody following?"

    I missed that part. If the speed limit is 45, then I wouldn't consider 40mph too rude... maybe, "if there is nobody following".

    But those aren't the speeds I travel. If I drove at 45, I would get over 60mpg. I have for stretches of 20 miles when behind a slow moving truck. On those same roads, my unfettered speed is 60-65, not cruising, but accelerating and decelerating with the curves, and I get 48mpg.

    I'm not ready to substantially alter my driving habits for the extra 20% mileage increase. Check back in another six months ;-)
  • davem7davem7 Member Posts: 35
    Recently I tried an experiment early one morning when no traffic was on the road.

    I set the cruise control of my '06HCH at 30mph and drove for about three miles on a level surface without stopping.
    During that period the EV mode engaged two or three times as evidenced by the MPG gauge pegging out and two bars showing on the Assist gauge. Wasn't able to travel more than l/4 mile continuously without it reverting to the gasoline mode but it does work.

    Conditions permitting I now use the cruise control when driving for an extended distance in a 30mph zone, its very easy to drive 5-l0mph over the speed without the cruise. So I reduce the chance of being stopped for speeding plus a micro mpg saving :shades:
  • gibraltarlagibraltarla Member Posts: 9
    I recently purchased my Civic Hybrid and love it. Because of demand, I wasn't able to test drive the Hybrid; instead I purchased the VIN number and picked up the car a couple of weeks later. One gadget I was sure the Civic would have was a "remaining miles" meter or gauge that informs the driver of how far they drive on the remaining gas in the tank. While I try not to drive on fumes, it's really nice to know how much gas I have before filling up. My BMW had this feature and I loved it. Perhaps I overlooked a button that can display this information? Any guidance is very much appreciated.
  • jph3006jph3006 Member Posts: 49
    Please describe how the vehicle drives being a hybrid, I would enjoy reading your obervations. Thanks
  • rysa4rysa4 Member Posts: 9
    There isnt a miles remaining visual but it is very easy to track. Use either trip A or trip B for your current tank. It will show your total miles and your average MPG for that tank. Multiply by 12 x your average MPG. Thats the conservative total mileage you can go on one tank. Subtract the current mileage you have driven on the tank. The difference is what you have left.

    This gives an extra .4 gallons in the tank. Also on the fuel indicator when the gas tank light comes on you are supposed to have two gallons left, or another 90-100 miles amazingly.
  • gibraltarlagibraltarla Member Posts: 9
    The only difference I find between a Hybrid and a regular Civic is the horsepower and getting accustomed to the auto start/stop feature. The auto start is a bit awkward at first; when you remove your foot from the brake, the car instantly restarts. There's really no delay; however, the slight ignition sensation takes some getting used to. While not as fast as other vehicles, it's fun to drive and will get you 50 MPG (my current gas consumption).
  • cdoldcdold Member Posts: 34
    "The only difference I find between a Hybrid and a regular Civic is the horsepower and getting accustomed to the auto start/stop feature. "

    I don't agree. I find the Honda Civic LX with 4 speed auto to be noisy and poor accelerating in the city by comparison to my 2003 HCH.

    Because of the CVT, the HCH glides from a stop, and never has the sound of a struggling little four cylinder pulling at uncomfortably low RPM against an automatic transmission.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "Because of the CVT, the HCH glides from a stop, and never has the sound of a struggling little four cylinder pulling at uncomfortably low RPM against an automatic transmission."

    If your Civic ICE was running in low RPM, then you don't understand Honda engineering.
  • hot_georgiahot_georgia Member Posts: 51
    I'll have to disagree with the warm-up comment.
    The engine consumes a comparatively large amount of fuel cold vs warmed up.
    I park heading-out (Backed in) to avoid the extra load on the engine right after starting cold.
    In fact I keep load as light as possible. For example I could park right next to the exit gate at work. I'd start up, drive a few feet to the gate, then drive .2 miles uphill to a traffic light.

    Instead I park on the 2nd to the top level of the deck. I start, put in D, nudge a little gas to get her rolling, then switch to N. (This is 2:30AM and the lot is vacant for safety). I'll roll @ about 3-5MPH down 3 levels of ramps, still in N until I get to the gate, then shut her down.
    Leaving the gate I roll in N again on an abandoned street about .1 miles where I get onto the regular road then baby it for the first 5-10 miles.

    Yes I know this is quite extreme but I get quite extreme results from my efforts. My last tank figures:
    Beginning 69,676
    Ending 70,659
    983 miles
    Pumped 13.79g to the rim
    71.28MPG

    Gotta baby that engine in warmup for maximum efficiency and makes a big difference.
  • roundtriproundtrip Member Posts: 105
    Sounds like you love a challenge and are making the most out of your purchase. Do you think you could get much higher?
  • hot_georgiahot_georgia Member Posts: 51
    Thank you roundtrip.
    I'm going for a 1,000 mile tank this time before cooler weather sets in. I missed it last time by 17 miles!
    So far I've traveled 643 miles and have 1/2 tank left so I have a pretty good shot at it. Dash says 70.8MPG for those miles.
    Wish me luck!
    2004 Honda Civic Hybrid CVT
    -Steve
  • pmzpmz Member Posts: 26
    Do you carry a gallon of gas around with you so you can utilize every drop of gas?
  • nwh7928nwh7928 Member Posts: 1
    We picked up our '06 Civic a few days ago, and are getting used to how the car works. We're looking for some clarification on when (if) the car operates in battery only mode. For example, the Prius will back up or go at low speeds in battery only, with the gas engine completely off. Our Civic engine is always on (except for auto shut off with foot on brake at a stoplight). My car salesperson at the dealer does not know if the car operates in battery only mode, and in doing some looking online, there is a surprising amount of confusion if the car has this feature or not. So, can anyone clarify? Do you back out of your garage, for example, with the gas engine off, or pull down your subdivision street with the gas engine off? Or, is the IMA strictly for 'assist' of the gas engine, and it never operates in battery only mode? Thanks.
  • davem7davem7 Member Posts: 35
    Much has been written on your question in previous posts but the answer remains the same.

    Under certain circumstances the '06HCH will run in the battery only mode at speeds of less than 30mph but only for a very short distance, 1/2 mile would be exceptional, 1/4 mile is more likely.

    The trick is to manipulate the accelerator to around 40-50mph then deaccelerate to slightly under 30mph and watch for the MPG Indicator to max out at 100 and hold steady. You will then know you're in the battery mode. Every time i've tried it usually kicks in at 25mph. You'll hear a thud like sound when the engine reverts to the gasoline mode and the MPG Indicator will drop.

    It has long been my opinion that Honda's claim about the battery only mode is technically correct but misleading, the effect on FE is minimal.
  • davem7davem7 Member Posts: 35
    I've found two ways to reduce fuel consumption with my '06 HCH, both involve reduction of idling time..

    At the auto car wash it typically takes 10-15 minutes to complete the transaction and drive off, depending of course on how many vehicles are ahead of you in line. Once the car is on the rolling rack and in neutral I shut the ignition switch off until the car is off the rack. I then restart the car, pull it outside, and shut it off again while the attendants wipe it dry by hand.

    The practice has two benefits: it reduces fuel wasted idling, and second it reduces the amount of pollutants that the car wash personnel are exposed to. The manager at the car wash says i'm the only person that she is aware of who follows this practice but concedes it is a good idea.

    The other fuel saving tip is, weather permitting, if it is necessary to wait several minutes at a railroad grade crossing, I shut the engine off until the train passes
  • jmu2jmu2 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone felt that the Hybrid Civic just does not have the acceleration it should, I do realize that it is not meant to be a sports car but I feel that it has virtually no pickup. Secondly has anyone checked the 0-60 time and just curious has anyone been able to hit 106mph ;)
  • jmu2jmu2 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone else experienced a dramatic decrease in MPG with cold weather?
    I live in Chicago and my gas mileage dropped from over 43MPG in the summer to 38MPG in the cold weather.

    Is there anything I can do to better my gas mileage in the winter.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Has anyone felt that the Hybrid Civic just does not have the acceleration it should, I do realize that it is not meant to be a sports car but I feel that it has virtually no pickup.

    What other cars do you normally drive (or did you drive before getting your hybrid)?

    It should be noted (for your sake) that Car and Driver recorded 0-60 MPH at 10.8 sec. for a full battery charge, 12.3 sec for a partial charge.

    Similarly, a Civic LX Manual Transmission model made the same run in 7.7 seconds.

    The basic Civic is pretty quick, the hybrid is just, well, not.
  • rogerb46rogerb46 Member Posts: 9
    "To allow "Econ" to be used, the procedure above is exactly the same, but you hold all 3 buttons in for step 4 until the Econ blinks."

    I don't understand what you mean by the last part. What is the three-button setup that you mention, verses the two-button setup?
  • erscoloerscolo Member Posts: 11
    I just picked up my 2007 HCH, replacing my 2004 HCH, and the pickup is quite good. Then again, I bought it for the fuel economy not to pass that Mazaratti in the next lane. The bump up from 85HP to 110HP is noticeable, however.
  • mingster66mingster66 Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone experienced the following potential problem. I recently bought a 2007 Civic Hybrid and, as expected, when I stop at a stop light, the auto stop engages. Well, it was doing that until the last 3 days. Anytime I stop at a stop light or stop for any prolonged period of time (while on "D"), the auto stop doesn't engage so I'm idling like a normal gas only car.

    Before I bring it into the dealership, I'm wondering if anyone else had this problem and what it might be?

    Thank you in advance.
  • 46jimbo46jimbo Member Posts: 12
    The auto stop feature doesn't work when you have the defrost on. This is indicated in the manual. However, in addition to this, auto stop also won't work if you have selected the ventilation mode where the air blows to your feet and to the windshield.

    I took my Civic to the dealer when the auto stop stopped working and it's there that this was noticed. Personally, I think this is a glitch that should be fixed in a software update. I understand why it doesn't work when you press the defrost button. The AC comes on and the fan runs at full speed. But in the above mentioned ventilation mode, no extra resources are called upon.
  • sfilersfiler Member Posts: 1
    Test drove a 2007 HCH and average mile indicator on instrument cluster only reached 32. Dealer said it was due to car not being broke in yet, which takes 5,000 miles. Any comments or suggestions?

    Sue
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    That's normal for a test drive from a non-hybrid-trained driver.

    Once you get the car and learn to use the instruments on the dash to maximize the MPG, you can see improvement if you want to.

    If you are a "dash from red light to red light ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM" type driver, however, you are better off not getting a hybrid car.

    Good luck either way.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    If you are a long-term hybrid owner, our Senior Editor, John O'Dell, would love to hear from you! A short email with your maintenance experiences and concerns would be great. Please send to John at jodell@edmunds.com by close of business Wednesday, August 22, 2007. Be sure and include your Forums username.
  • orientexpressorientexpress Member Posts: 8
    With the autostop working intermittently. The dealer had the car for a week before figuring it out. There were no engine or transmission faults, but it turned out to be the HVAC controller which is back in the IMA controller behind the rear seat. That was replaced, and now autostop works all of the time and the gas mileage is 25% better.
  • hybridowner02hybridowner02 Member Posts: 1
    There appears to be a generic problem with the 2006-2008 Civic Hybrids. When stopped at a traffic light, and with the heater on at low fan speed and without the defroster on, the auto idle stop kicks on as expected, but after a minute or two, it kicks off abruptly and startles the driver.

    This problem has persisted with my 2006 Civic hybrid and also with a brand new 2008 Civic hybrid I test drove recently.

    Have other Civic hybrid owners noticed this problem?
  • johngalt007johngalt007 Member Posts: 7
    I recently bought a new 2009 HCH. Having never driven a hybrid before, I have noticed a few odd things while driving this car.

    Owners of HCH, please let me know if the following is normal:

    1. When stopped completely (say at red light), the car sometimes goes a bit backward when foot is released from the break -- like in manual transmission cars.

    2. At lower speed (less than 25 mph), the car does not move smoothly like a non-hybrid car does. I can feel the perceptible jerk.

    Then there is the small matter of dealership that never gave me two keys (I have just one), and did not give me the manuals either. Will contacting Honda do any good?

    - John
  • MsAdventureMsAdventure Member Posts: 15
    Hi John,

    Congrats on the new car! I bought my '09 HCH back in June. The only time the car has moved backward for me when taking my foot off the brake is when I've been on an incline (same as with a regular car). Also, I've never noticed any jerkiness at lower speeds, I'll pay attention next time I'm in the car.

    When I purchased my car I was given 3 keys - two regular keys and one valet key. Have you contacted the dealership about getting the keys and the manuals? If so, what was their response?

    I hope this helps!
  • johngalt007johngalt007 Member Posts: 7
    MsAdventure, thanks.

    With the car going backward, this does not happen always. But, it happens on the flats road as well.

    The jerkiness is perceptible -- I can feel it in my belly. Please drive at slow speed and see if your car hesitates -- almost as if it can't decide if it needs to accelerate or decelerate.

    Also, could you please tell me which manuals did you receive with your car? I was given a 2009 civic manual (not of hybrid). I checked Honda's website at http://tinyurl.com/nhfddo, and I can see that there are following manuals and user guides related to the hybrid that I believe I should have been given (my car came with navigation):

    2009 Civic Hybrid Navigation System Owner's Manual
    (English, Paper, 31SNC820)

    2009 Civic Hybrid Owner's Manual
    (English, Paper, 31SNC630)

    2009 Civic Hybrid Quick Start Guide
    (English, Paper, 31SNCQ30)

    2009 Civic Hybrid Service History
    (English, Paper, 31SNCM30)

    Did you receive all four of the above?

    J
  • MsAdventureMsAdventure Member Posts: 15
    Hi John,

    I'm so sorry for the delayed response - I forgot to set myself email notifications! I did pay attention to driving at slower speeds two separate times. Once, after I first started the car it seemed to act slightly jerky. Second, after I'd driven for a while and that time, I didn't notice any jerkiness at all. Both times were at speeds 20-25 mph.

    I did receive all 4 of those manuals as well as these add'l booklets:

    2009 Warranties - 31SNCW30
    Consumer Information - 31H06801

    Hope that helps!!!
    MsAdventure
  • frednjudikfrednjudik Member Posts: 22
    New 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid purchased end of March, has 1900 miles.
    the MPG Indicator at the bottom dash display indicates 33 mpg. I have not reset any trip meter readings. We have combination city and highway. Outside Temps. 101 degrees, its summer in SW Calif.! The dealer tells me that the car needs a break-in period of at least 5,000 miles to begin to get the good gas mileage. The owners manual indicates 600 miles break-in. The Electric Motor kicks in at take off's from a dead stop, and accelerating above 3,000rpm. When coasting/free-wheeling, the EM is charging the battery. Has anyone else experienced low mileage on a new 2009 Honda Hybrid? Should I wait until the Odometer turns 5,000 miles, and then complain about low mpg? My wife and I are retired. We don't drive like teenagers anymore! I have not yet measured gallons divided into real miles yet, but will on the next tank fill. The very first tankful, I did, and it matched the MPG Indicator in the Dash. Any Ideas? I think the Dealer is Full of It!
  • johngalt007johngalt007 Member Posts: 7
    Thanks, MsAdventure. We all get busy from time to time. Thanks for taking the time to remember and reply.

    I did call Honda last week, and complained about not receiving a single manuals from the dealership. The rep from Honda said something about the dealer communication. No word from anyone (Honda or dealer) yet. I am not sure what my options are if I don't get them!! :confuse:
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